Vincent Kompany was ‘fully fit’ to face Barcelona but omitted from Man City squad

Vincent Kompany’s future has been cast into fresh doubt following reports from various newspapers including The Times and Telegraph that the Manchester City captain was fully fit to face Barcelona, but left out of the squad by Pep Guardiola.

Kompany has only just returned from another injury, but a late cameo against Everton showed he was ready to play again. However, City fans were left puzzled when the 30-year-old club icon didn’t even make the bench on Wednesday night at the Camp Nou.

Guardiola selected 19-year-old right-back Pablo Maffeo ahead of Kompany, and when asked about that decision, Kevin De Bruyne said, “That’s Pep’s choice. He must have had his reasons.”

It’s quite possible that the decision was tactical, or Guardiola fearing such a high-intensity game could put Kompany’s health at risk again, but it was a curious decision to not even put him on the bench.

Guardiola has already been quite ruthless in shaping his City squad, axing the likes of Joe Hart, Samir Nasri and Eliaquim Mangala, while refusing to play Yaya Touré until his agent apologises for slanderous remarks.